NCE’s sources have revealed that the collective price was coming in at “around £1.2bn” over budget, another said that some bids were “as much as 30% to 40% higher” than their individual target price.

It is understood that the notice to proceed has been pushed back from November until February 2019 with one source claiming that they had been told to “go away and sharpen their pencils” to cut costs.

The news follows GE’s report that that the price rise resulting from the client effectively passing all risk to the contractor could be as much as 30%. Several engineers said that they were “dismayed” that HS2 has chosen not to use GBRs, which have been widely used on other major UK projects, and the concern over the issue is widespread among a number of other individuals that GE spoke to.

Nonetheless, HS2 has dismissed these cost claims and said that it did not consider GBRs to be necessary at the design stage.

NCE has reported that the joint ventures for all four of the main civil works are currently coming in above budget.

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